Reflector signal device for taillights



June 1, 1937. H. J. SAUER 2,082,658

REFLECTOR SIGNAL DEVICE EOR mmusa'rs Filed Spt. 14. 1934 Fig.4d 1/ INVENTOR HENRY LT. 55mm. 2 WW' f ATTORNEY Patented June 1937' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFLECTOR SIGNAL 'nnvrcn FOR AILLIGH'I'S Henry J. Sauer, Fairficld, Conn, assignor to The v Kilborn-Sauer Company, Fairfleld, Conn., a

corporation of Connecticut 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improvement in a reflecting signal device for tail-lights of automobiles or other vehicles, and has for an object to provide an autocollimating reflector 5 means in such relation to the tail-light that a reflector signal is provided corresponding in outline to and constituting a part of the tail-light, and which will provide a signal independently of the tail-lightlens, so a reflector of full magntl tude may be" obtained without respect to the requirements of the lens, and without obscuring or cutting down the effective area of the lens, as has been the case in tail-light reflecting. lenses heretofore in use, which, in combining the functions 15 of a liens and a reflector, sacrificedand compromised the desired characteristics of each. Another object is to provide a reflector device which may be readily attached to a tail-light without the necessity for changing the lens. Anotherembodiments of the invention areshown in the accompanying drawing, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally 35 pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a reflector device, according to an exemplary embodiment of my invention, mounted on a. tail-light.

40 Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a. side view of one of the autocollimating reflector units employed.

45 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a front end view.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing a nodifledform of attaching meansfor mounting the reflector device on the tall-light.

50 Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modified form of glass reflector unit, of segmental form.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of another modified form of glass reflector unit, of ring form.

55 Similar feference characters indicate corre-I spending parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. Referring to the drawing, the reflector device according to theillustrated embodiment of the invention comprises generally a. ring member 5 carrying a series of autocollimating reflector units, and which is mounted on the tail light in surrounding relation to the front lens carrying closure.

The autocollimating reflecting unit III, as I 0 shown in Figs. 1 to 7, is of the type shown in my U. S. Patent #1,834,647 dated December 1, 1931, and consists of a glass body, the intermediate portion of which is preferably cylindrical. The

front end ll of the glass body is convexly spherl5 the rear of the front end extends outwardly so as to form an abrupt annular shoulder l3, which formsa support in' a plane at right angles to the common normal to the front and rear ends. This shoulder has a greater radial extension from the common normal than that part of the glass body in front of the shoulder, and is also posis tioned suiflciently in front of the reflecting surface at the rear so that rays of light passing through the common center of curvature of the front and rearends are reflected from the "extreme edge of the reflecting surface withoutbeing interrupted by the shoulder. The rear end 5 i2 is coveredwith a silver or foil coating ll, thus producing a catadioptric element.

The reflector units are mounted in a holder consisting of a front member i5 and a back member [6 of ring form adapted to surround the tail- 40 light, the front member having a series of holes I! through which the front ends I I of the reflector units project. The front and back members are of channel-shape in cross-section the side walls of the back member fitting within they side walls of the front member, and the two being secured by flanging over the rearward edges of the front memberupon the back surface of the back member. The back member is preferably curved in cross-section to conform to the curvawhich are arranged to register with the attach- I ing screws l9--l9 of the tail-light closure 20, and which normally are engaged through holes 2i-2l in the closure and screw into brackets 22-'-22 secured to the tail-light casing 23. These 5 ears may be lanced and bent from the side wall 'ofthe front member l5. Y

- In Fig. 7 I have shown a modification in which the reflector device isprovided with a plurality of suitably spaced rearwardly extending apertured ears as secured to the side of the tail-light molded integrally with a segmental ring section 26. The rear surfaces 412 are silvered or foiled.

A plurality of these reflector members are adapted to be mounted in the holder in substantially the same manner as the single units l G, with the front ends H"- projecting through the holes IE, as

will be obvious.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a further modification in which the reflector member is in the form of a molded glass ring Zl having a plurality of reflector units integrally molded therewith, these units each having convexly spherical front ends i I and convexly spherical rear ends i2 corresponding to the front and rear ends H and i2 of the single unit id. This single reflector member is mounted in the holder in substantially the same manner as the units ID, with the front ends li projecting through the holes IT, as will be obvious.

It will be understood that the reflector device may be of any suitable shape to conform to the particular shape of the tail-light, and that the attaching means may be arranged to register with the attaching means of the tail-light closure. Also the size and number of the reflecting units may be modified to provide any desired brilliance.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of my invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination with a signal light comprising a lamp carrying casing, a closure having a lens, a means for securing said closure to said casing, a reflector comprising a frame entirely exterlor of and separable from said casing and disposed in surrounding relation to said casing entirely out of the path'of the lamp rays passing through said lens, attaching means for said reflector carried by said frame engaged with said closure in registering relation with said seeming means and secured to said closure by engagement of said securing means with said attaching means, and autocollimating reflector means carried by said frame adapted to reflect an outside source of light.

sum- 1'. J. SAUER. 

